Grant Sweet Memorial Essay Contest Winners

By Ceci Marlow

Last night, prizes were awarded to three area students for their Grant Sweet Memorial Day essays entered in this contest.

We are grateful to our sponsors--the Friends of Cromaine, the American Legion Post 1415-Hartland, Nancy Purtzenski, Sue Strouse, and an anonymous generous donor. They provide the funds for the three prizes of $300, $200, and $100.

The contest was open to 7th through 12th grade students in Livingston County; we had 15 essays submitted from Charyl Stockwell Preparatory Academy, Hartland, and Howell. All three winners attend Howell schools.

The winners are:

• 1st place - Zachary Palmieri, 10th grade, who wrote about his grandfather. 
• 2nd place - Ashley Dunn, 7th grade, who wrote about a friend. 
• 3rd place - Morgan Holt, 8th grade, who wrote about her brother. 

Tears flowed freely after the reading of the three essays.

Nancy Purtzenski Sweet, Grant's wife, was in attendance along with her sister, JoEllen, and brother, Larry Purtzenski, former HM3 Navy Hospital Corpsman serving with the Marines during the Vietnam Era.

We served Oreos in memory of Grant.

The winners received medals from Don Smith, former ADJ (Jet Engine Mechanic), E5, who served in the Navy, also during the Vietnam Era.

Dwight (Mickey) Sachau, former Navy, WWII veteran, also attended representing the Hartland Post (and making sure Don Smith did his job).

We will continue the contest next year. Our prizes, of course, depend on our donors, but the comments received last night, the impact of those essays read aloud (and for our four judges, the ones read by only them I was told), and the importance of getting our veterans and active military personnel stories told and heard, make it very much worth it.

It may not be a big attendance program. It is, however, one small way we can respect and remember the service given to protect the freedoms so important to us all.

One of the statistics I shared last night, which I heard for the first time on Sunday night (60 Minutes show) is that last year, more active duty personnel died of suicide than enemy action. They need to know their stories are important and that we want them to be able to tell them for future generations. This contest is one way we can make that statement.

These essays will be printed in the 2014 Memorial Day parade booklet.